Archive for April, 2011

Here is the General Pet Policy for most major car rental companies: Dogs of all sizes are allowed for no additional fee and no restrictions are indicated. There may be charges if there is damage or excessive cleaning required. It is advisable to bring blankets for heavy or shedding dogs, and they must be leashed or crated. This policy applies to the following companies:

The following car rental companies have a more restrictive policy and should be avoided by people with pets unless they are comfortable with their pets remaining in a kennel in the rental car. Here is their pet policy:

Dogs of all sizes are allowed for no additional fee and they must remain kenneled while in the vehicle. There may be charges if there is damage or excessive cleaning required.

2010 was a bittersweet year for us at DogFriendly.com. In September, we lost our dog Toby rather suddenly to cancer. This, as anyone who has lost a pet knows, is a very difficult time. Later in the year, however, things turned around as we added Benji and Yukon to our family. They are both 8 months old Standard Poodles. Benji is a black standard and currently weighs about 43 pounds. Yukon, a brown standard, is already near 50 pounds. We welcome them to the DogFriendly.com family.

While most greyhounds are bred for track racing, what some people may not know is that these gentle giants make wonderful pets. After spending the first few years of their lives on the dog track, greyhounds, just like humans, must eventually retire from their day job and desire a loving home.

Pooch Hotel, a doggy daycare and overnight boarding facility located in Chicago, has dedicated their time to helping Greyhounds Only, a not-for-profit greyhound adoption group based in northeastern Illinois, that gives greyhounds a second chance after life on the race track. The greyhound program at the hotel has been active for two years and Greyhounds Only has housed between 6-10 dogs there at any given time. Since retired greyhounds have been kept in a crate most of their racing career with limited exposure to the “real world”, they often have to learn what life is like off of the race track. Most greyhounds have never seen an urban environment, so Pooch Hotel works alongside the Greyhounds Only volunteers at getting the dogs socialized with humans, other dog breeds, the city sounds, and preparing the hounds for the next phase of their lives as loving companion animals. Once acclimated, these forty mile-an-hour couch potatoes make a splendid addition to any pet-centric household.

“Our mission is to place retired greyhounds in loving homes, as well as educate the public about the greyhound breed,” says Barbara Karant, president of Greyhounds Only. “Rescue programs, like the one at Pooch Hotel, help to facilitate a far greater awareness of the greyhound and broader awareness leads to more adoptions. The tireless and extraordinary care at Pooch has been a gift to the Greyhounds Only dogs.”

The time frame for a greyhound to fully adjust to a new lifestyle depends on the dog and Pooch Hotel fully dedicates their services until they and Greyhounds Only are certain a dog is ready for its new family. Over 80 greyhounds have come through the hotel and have been adopted, with adoption arrangements made through Greyhounds Only.